Review: October Drift // This Is Nowhere EP

Softly the sound builds, delicate vocals flow over the top, the sound builds, the drumming gets louder and all of a sudden the twanging riff of the start of October Drift's new EP drops in. The Sheffield band have been crafting a name for themselves over the last year with seeminglessly endless touring and a fantastic reputation to go with it.

Their second EP 'This Is Nowhere' begins with the ambient build of 'Snow Into Dust' which is more of an intro to the next song 'Cherry Red' rather than a stand alone song. 'Cherry Red', however, is wonderfully dark and yet catchy with a strong dominant chorus. It's by far the singalong track on the EP and shows glimpses of the bands potential to be a powerful and individual rock band.

The EP then moves on to 'Cinnamon Girl' which is somewhat similar to 'Cherry Red' and continues to showcase the bands potential. However after several minutes of the same thing it begins to fade into the background and you start to ask for that little bit more.

That little bit more finally arrives with the end of the EP, 'Get With The Times' really highlights October Drift as a band that can slug it out with the big boys. This slower track shows the diversity within the band and their ability to make music at whatever speed and style while still retaining a level of distinction. 'Get With The Times' at this point seems less of a song title and more of a message to those other acts following templates of what came before to make something new.

(7.5/10)

-Luke

October Drift // The Louisiana, Bristol // 09.04.16

As fans are already established at the front of the room, October Drift needed no introduction here in this intimate space. A venue already quite acquainted with hosting for bands who just bleed talent and radiate a future for themselves such as Placebo, The Chemical Brothers and Muse. However, this charismatic entity of a musical group is hard to place in any one section of a spectrum as they play to a mere ghost of Interpol, the lead vocals as haunting and welcome as Paul Banks himself. Each individual member gave off an energy that was dying to burst out of the room, which is the only explanation I can give to the lead vocalist seeking refuge in the crowd for a few songs. All humans gave way, soaking in the act from every division of space that there was. This just added to the intimacy and closeness of all involved. I had come to this gig audibly blind since I always enjoy the element of musical surprise, especially bands I’ve already heard so much about from trusted friends, and I was not at all disappointed.

The giddiness of the inevitable ‘I have a crush on all of you’ girls at the front did not spoil the night as the drummer’s more than impressive harmonies resonated through every ear hole. Granted, it had to be pointed out to me that these were coming from him as I’ve always been in awe of being able to keep a rhythm and hold a note at the same time, but this was spot on. There is no doubt that these boys are performers, dabbling with Dutch courage in the form of a bottle, be it lager or wine. That isn’t to say they weren’t naturally bubbling over with confidence and esteem. Egos are there to be stroked, but the sense of being grounded peered through every soul that was present on stage. No efforts were needed in forming a slight pit as the crowd were already fixing one up themselves ending up with half joining the band in their sacred bubble. Bubble or not, they didn’t mind. This crowd was theirs, they owned these fans and in that moment it was realised that October Drift are going to be huge.

Check out some of their videos over at http://www.octoberdrift.co.uk/index.php/videos. Browse the tour dates and most definitely catch them if you can.

-Little Bubbles

You can check out Little Bubbles own blog HERE

October Drift // Undertone, Cardiff // 07.04.16

There's always something special about experiencing an exciting young band in a tiny sweaty basement. That's exactly what fans of October Drift were treated to on a cold Thursday night in Cardiff.

The Fused @ Undertone

First up where local indie-rockers The Fused; a Cardiff band with a lot of energy and an exciting sound. Within seconds a mosh pit broke out in the venue, the ceiling only centimetres from the bouncing fans heads. The band say they're influenced by the likes of Catfish & The Bottlemen and The Libertines and you can certainly hear that indie style come through there music, however the band had moments of delving into a rockier style which kept the crowd bouncing. The Fused have a very current sound and with the energy they portrayed in their performance could move on to bigger things.

The Broadcasts @ Undertone

The Broadcasts came to the stage a man down with their guitarist at home recovering from an illness. Nonetheless the band still gave an exciting performances. They fed off the energy created by The Fused, reducing the fans into a sweaty mess. The alt rock/acoustic band from south Wales have an album out soon which will be a great listen if their live performance is anything to go by.

October Drift @Undertone

With the crowd buzzing and excitement brewing October Drift took the stage. Due to the bands recent social media storm through issues with Facebook's swear filter while trying to promote a gig in Scunthorpe and an ever increasing hype around the band, the show was nearly packed to capacity. The band bounced of the energy created by the two supports with crowd surfers and mosh pits a common place throughout the set. The band not only musically were fantastic but also interacted with the crowd incredibly; climbing amps, bouncing with the crowd and at one point getting the whole room to crouch down in a circle during the opening part of 'Lost'.

October Drift @ Undertone

These sort of displays from the Somerset band won't go unnoticed and will propel them to bigger and better things in the near future.

-Luke